


You Can't Catch Me

by MrProphet



Category: Midsomer Murders - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 14:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10698693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrProphet/pseuds/MrProphet





	You Can't Catch Me

As Sergeant Troy showed Inspector Barnaby around the crime scene, he got the distinct impression that his boss wasn't really listening.

"There are footprints around the house, but they're tiny; like a child's feet. SOCO says they were wearing some kind of boots."

"They were here for some time," Barnaby observed.

"The fridge is empty," Troy confirmed. "Although the victim might just have been about to shop."

"No," Barnaby replied. "They stayed several days. Show me the body."

The victim was lying on his bed with a knife in his chest. The sun through the window cast its shadow across a series of marks cut into the man's skin.

"It's a sundial," Troy said, "with the knife as a... what's it called?"

"Gnomon," Barnaby replied. "Have they found the note?"

"Notes, sir?"

"They always leave a note, taunting us. Ah-ha!" Barnaby crossed the bedroom to the sideboard. "Gloves," he said.

There was a metronome on the counter, its pendulum stilled. Carefully, Barnaby opened the casement and extracted a slip of paper that he handed to Troy. The sergeant gently smoothed the paper to reveal a message in tiny, neat handwriting.

"Ha ha ha, he he he?" he read in confusion.

"They're back," Barnaby said. "We had a rash of these ten years ago; we never caught them."

"Caught who? A rash of what."

Barnaby looked grim. "Gnome invasions."


End file.
